


the doctor

by cornfields



Series: Red Iris [2]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-04 19:32:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15847920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cornfields/pseuds/cornfields
Summary: Alex chewed contemplatively on a bite of fish and looked over at the doctor one more time. He was startled to see that the doctor was looking right at him; upon being caught, the doctor gave a gentle, genuine smile, clearly a bit embarrassed. Even from across the cafeteria, Alex could see that this doctor was beautiful, once the veil of exhaustion was temporarily put aside.





	the doctor

**ALEX USED TO:**

“It’ll be about four hours,” the mechanic said, handing over a printed sheet detailing the thing that was making Alex’s car’s engine make that grinding noise. “Do you want to wait, or do you have someone picking you up?”

Alex suddenly felt lethargy climb up behind his eyes. It was the middle of the day; everyone he knew was at work, and the only reason he wasn’t there with them was because Harry had told him to take the day to get his car fixed up. (It was most likely an unspoken reward for Alex’s discretion about that offshore account that nobody else in the accounting apartment knew about.) Ultimately, there was nobody to come pick Alex up.

He glanced into the waiting room. There were piles of old magazines laying on top of a table and a TV turned at full volume to a home renovation show. There were at least four people already waiting, and he would have to cram himself into the only chair left, which looked too small. The four-hour estimate was probably more of a goal than a reality, given how long it looked like everyone had been sitting.

“I’m going to go,” Alex’s mouth said before his brain really caught up. He turned back to the mechanic. “Can you call me when it’s done?”

-

Five minutes later, he stood outside on the sidewalk in the pouring rain, sheltering himself under a flimsy umbrella. He went to open up Uber but his phone vibrated in his hand, alerting him to another email from the company insurance carrier: _get a flu shot, get a flu shot_. Over the weeks that he’d spent ignoring them, their tone had shifted from, “Protect yourself! It’s easy to get a flu shot!” to “If you refuse to get a flu shot, you’ll be considered noncompliant on all of your medical records.”

He sighed and shoved his phone into his pocket and turned left, heading toward the giant medical complex that loomed on the horizon just a few blocks away.

-

The next waiting room he sat in was even worse than the previous one, given that he wasn’t sure who around him was sick and contagious. He sat there for forty-five minutes, playing on his phone the whole time until it died. Once he finally got into the office, it probably took less than sixty seconds to get the shot itself.

His stomach rumbled, and he looked out the nearest window to figure out what he could eat nearby. Unfortunately, all he could see was a courtyard with some benches, surrounded by numerous imposing medical buildings. _There’s got to be a building for literally every organ here_ , he thought despondently, _but nowhere to fucking eat_. Whatever. The rain was coming down in sheets, anyway; Alex wasn’t too keen to go out there and swim to Subway or Chipotle, anyway.

He found a directory at the end of one hallway and examined it closely, absently scratching a little at his flu shot bandage. The hospital had its own cafeteria—probably had multiple cafeterias, just not all in this building—and Alex followed the directions the map gave, heading through hallways and down stairs until he finally got there. His nose knew it before his brain did; the food smelled good. His stomach growled.

He piled his tray up with everything that looked good, which happened to be a lot of food; Alex had never been a picky eater. He carried his heavily laden tray to the register and waited in line, setting it down when he went to get his credit card.

His card wasn’t in his wallet.

His mind spun a little as he went through his pockets, hoping against hope that he hadn’t accidentally left it somewhere—in his car, maybe? On the counter at the mechanic’s? But he’d paid with the company card at the mechanic’s. That expense had been approved, but a charge from the hospital hadn’t been yet—maybe Alex could pay with his phone now, he thought. Someone far away cleared their throat in impatience, and Alex glanced back to discover the line was getting longer.

“Sorry,” he blurted, yanking out his phone so he could use it to pay. Of course, it was still dead. _Of course_ , Alex thought in frustration. He lifted up his briefcase to start looking again for the company card, thinking he could reimburse the company later, he just had to fucking eat something and get out of this line.

“Here,” someone said gently from behind him. Alex looked up to see the cashier running a card through a machine; it’s not the credit card slot. The cashier reached around Alex to hand the card back to the person behind Alex, a doctor, by the look of the white coat. The guy slipped the ID card back into a clear shell that was clipped to his lapel, and sure enough, the ID card identified him as a full-time doctor. “You got both mine and his?” the doctor asked the cashier before getting a nod in return.

“Thank you,” Alex blurted, and the doctor shrugged. He was good-looking but looked so weary that it nearly canceled out attractive and fit he was.

“It’s nothing,” the doctor said, picking up his tray and smiling briefly at Alex. It was just a polite smile; it didn’t reach his grayish, tired eyes. “Have a nice day.”

“Really, thanks,” Alex said, and watched as the doctor nodded politely before taking his tray and sitting alone at a table in the dining area. He pulled out a book immediately. Alex grabbed his own heavy tray and sat down at a different table.

He searched through his briefcase for his recharging cable and hooked it up to his phone and his external battery, chowing down on some noodles while he waited for his phone to turn back on. Once it did, he opened up his texts and composed one for TJ.

_American doctors make lots $$$$ right???_

He hoped they did. He felt guilty about not being able to pay this doctor back. God knew he was making enough money himself, now that he was in on the boss’s schemes.

TJ responded within seconds, and Alex suspected TJ was bored out of his mind.

_Yeah babe. Why_

Alex looked over at the doctor that had paid for his lunch, watched a little as he read his book, ate, and checked his watch. He didn’t even seem to be enjoying the food, or the book. He just looked… tired.

_Lost my card and doctor paid for me. Hes hot )))))_

The response came quickly. _Ask him out then!!! Maybe he’s into you_

For a moment, Alex actually considered it—asking the guy out, not the possibility that the doctor thought Alex was hot. From what Alex had seen, the doctor was too drained and busy to even look up from his food or his book, let alone notice how sexy Alex undeniably was. Then again, if Alex asked him on a date, and even if the doctor liked men and said yes, the date would probably be boring. The guy was probably too burdened with work or constantly worn-out.

Alex chewed contemplatively on a bite of fish and looked over at the doctor one more time. He was startled to see that the doctor was looking right at him; upon being caught, the doctor gave a gentle, genuine smile, clearly a bit embarrassed. Even from across the cafeteria, Alex could see that this doctor was beautiful when the mask of exhaustion was temporarily put aside.

So he was beautiful, kind, modest, and employed. Maybe he’d be interesting too. Alex turned around to get his stuff, planning to gather his things and go over to sit beside the doctor, ask him if he ever dates men, and if the doctor said yes, he’d ask him to go to dinner and a movie. His phone suddenly buzzed, though, and he had to answer it, talking to the mechanic about another problem that had come up while fixing the first problem. By the time Alex got off the phone, the doctor was gone.

It made sense; he’d been wolfing down his food as he stared at that book. Doctors carried pagers and everything for a reason. Alex exhaled in disappointment anyway, looking out the window at the pouring sheets of rain. Thunder boomed; it fit his mood. Literally everything had gone wrong today, and it was barely even lunchtime.

He unlocked his phone and wrote a text.

_He left (((((((((((((((((((_

TJ responded after a few minutes. _Sorry babe u lost ur shot at love._

Alex grinned a little, despite his crappy mood. _He was the 1. I just kno (((((((((((((((((((((_

TJ texted back heartlessly, _lol loser_

Alex was trying to think of a joke to text back when TJ sent him another one. _Hockey game at 7 tonite, beer and chips at mine? Ur tv sux_

Alex smiled and immediately sent back a text in the affirmative. He went through his wallet again and found the missing credit card where it was hiding behind a gift card to Target. He’d probably crammed it there without even meaning to. It gave him an idea: he could use the gift card to buy snacks to take to TJ’s, he thought.

By the time he left the hospital, his flimsy black umbrella sheltering him poorly from the sheets of rain, he’d forgotten the doctor entirely.


End file.
